Farm Focus

On this episode of Farm Focus, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau sits down with Nationwide's Lacey Rowell, Relationship Manager for Nationwide's Land As Your Legacy® program, as she explains the program and some of its benefits. Nationwide specifically developed the Land As Your Legacy® program to help agribusiness owners develop a key framework to protect their family-owned business for generations to come. Their need for legacy planning services provides you with an opportunity to fill an important role in the farming and ranching communities you serve.

This week on the podcast, we speak to multiple Pennsylvania first responders, including PFB State Board Director Julie Schrum, who is a career firefighter and third-generation grain farmer, about Nationwide's Grain Bin Safety Program and the training their fire departments received along with the Grain Bin Rescue Tubes donated by Nationwide.

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, we talk to Peter Skelton, Corporate Advisor for KAFL Insurance Resources & Founder of Odyssey Planning LLC about Nationwide's Land As Your Legacy program and the importance of having a transition plan for your farm.

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, we speak with Devin Fuhrman, Chief Agriculture & Sponsor Relations Officer for Nationwide, along with Michael Clark of Greenwood School District. Clark is the 2023 recipient of the Pennsylvania Golden Owl Award. The Golden Owl Award honors agricultural teachers who devote countless hours, and often their own resources, to positively impact the lives of their students. With the Golden Owl Award, students, fellow teachers, and other supporters can nominate their favorite agricultural teacher and summarize what makes him or her the best in their state. Nominees can win the distinction of being their state's Agricultural Educator of the Year and the following prizes: $500 and an engraved plaque to each regional winner $3,000 and the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy to each state's grand prize winner (Agricultural Educator of the Year) In conjunction with the Golden Owl Award, Nationwide is donating $5,000 to each participating state's FFA to further support the personal and professional growth of students, teachers, and advisors alike.

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, PFB's Gov/Com Intern Ally Schaedler sits down with the PA Friends of Ag Interns Cheyenne Bastian-Brown and Rebekah Leise. They talk about all the experiences they had while on their summer internship. 

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, Media & Marketing Specialist David Varner speaks with PFB's Federal Affairs Specialist Bailey Thumm to discuss some of the topics relevant to her position at the Farm Bureau. 

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, Media & Marketing Specialist David Varner speaks with PFB's State and Local Government Affairs Specialist Lily Guthrie to discuss some of the topics relevant to her position at the Farm Bureau. 

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, Media & Marketing Specialist David Varner speaks with PFB's Regulatory Affairs specialist Grant Gulibon to discuss some of the topics relevant to his position at the Farm Bureau. 

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, Media & Marketing Specialist David Varner speaks with Bainbridge local Assistant Fire Chief, Travis Laverty. The two discuss summer time fire safety, fires in Canada and 2022 PA fire statistics.    Travis encourages everyone to think before they act when it comes to fires and to look into joining you're local fire company. 

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, Member Communications Director William Whisler speaks with country musician and Somerset County Farm Bureau member Jeff Corle, about his past as a dairy farmer, the time he spent in Nashville as a songwriter and his recording of his debut album, Farm Animal. Corle recently sold his dairy herd and is trying to make it as singer/songwriter, bringing life on the farm to listeners everywhere.

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, Member Communications Director William Whisler and Media and Marketing Specialist David Varner speak with Laramie Sandquist, Associate Vice President of Risk Management for Nationwide Ag about Rural Roads Safety. The group discusses safe driving tips and the importance of preventing distractions behind the wheel ahead of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau's Rural Roads Safety Week which runs April 16-22.

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, Member Communications Director William Whisler talks with Regulatory Affairs Specialist Grant Gulibon about the ACAP program has it begins to rollout statewide.

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, Member Communications Director William Whisler speaks with Executive Director for the Pennsylvania Friends of Ag Foundation Charlene Espenshade about the foundation's Ag Literacy Week, which runs March 13-17 statewide.

This week, David talks with Fayette County Farm Bureau member and owner of Marianna Outdoorsmen Association, Jason White. They discuss the Allegheny Outdoor Show and everything hunting and fishing.

This week, Will and David sit down to discuss their experiences at the Harrisburg Farm Show and the American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting. 

This week on the podcast, David Varner speaks with Pennsylvania Grange Master Matt Espenshade and his wife Charlene Espenshade, the Executive Director of the PA Friends of Ag Foundation about the ongoing issue of people dumping trash and items on farmland.

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, David Varner and Will Whisler speak with PFB Environmental Specialist Grant Gulibon about recent cases of Avian Influenza and where things are headed.

This week on the Farm Focus Podcast, we introduce you to newly elected PFB President Chris Hoffman, and his vision for Farm Bureau moving forward.

This week on the podcast we spoke to Travis Laverty Captain of the Bainbridge Fire Company about farm fires, ways to prevent them and more. 

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, we talk with Jessica Groves of GIANT, PFB President Rick Ebert and PA Friends of Ag Foundation Executive Director Charlene Espenshade about the unveiling of the foundation's new Immersion lab, sponsored by GIANT.

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, PFB Environmental Specialist Grant Gulibon gives us an update on current state and federal environmental issues.

This week, we speak with Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Region 2 Regional Organization Director Neil Dembeck about what goes into a membership drive, the benefits of Farm Bureau memberships and how to make the most out of a membership.

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, we talk with Charlene Espenshade, the Executive Director for the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation. The Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation is a charitable foundation supported by Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.   This episode discusses some of the PA Friends of Agriculture Foundation's key programs as we begin a new school year.

Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Young Ag Professionals State Committee Chair Drew Ross speaks with FFA Officers James Winklosky and Zaleigh Wade about FFA and the future of farming in Pennsylvania.

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau's Kyle Kotzmoyer and Grant Gulibon analyze the 2022-23 state budget, as well as the next steps in policy development and state legislation for Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, we talk with Kaitlyn Swope about her efforts as the Director of Consumer Affairs for the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative.

This week on the Farm Focus podcast, we talk with American Farm Bureau Federation's Chief Economist, Roger Cryan, about the results of AFBF's annual Fourth of July Cookout Survey that highlights the change in price for Fourth of July cookouts.

This week, we talk with Katie Dotterer about her experiences as a dairy farmer and as an advocate for the industry. 

This week on the Farm Focus Podcast, we talk with Kyle Kotzmoyer, PFB's State & Local Affairs Specialist about how policy development works and how Farm Bureau members can get involved in the process.

We talk with Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding about the ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak within the state. Redding highlights biosecurity practices, mitigation techniques and the key differences between the 1983-84 outbreak to today's.

We talk with Ezra Swope from the Center for Beef Excellence about the programs available for beef farmers, trends in the beef industry, and why transitioning to beef might be the right move for your farm.

On this episode, we talk with 3rd generation Christmas tree farmer Brandon Mytrysak of Mytrysak Family Tree Farm in Indiana county about what it takes to grow Christmas trees, and how he helps support the troops, just in time for the holiday season.

Join PFB's Government Affiars Council Joe Montenegro and Penn State Ag Law's Brook Duer as they guide you through what you need to know about the new agritourism limited liability law.  

 PFB's Darrin Youker talks with Mette, Evans & Woodside attorney Jacob Kiessling about leases for solar development on farm land and what farmers need to look for before signing a lease.

Pennsylvania farmers now have a new resource to help improve their businesses. Penn State Small Business Development Center has opened a Agriculture Center of Excellence. Darrin Youker spoke with Karl Binns, the Agriculture Center of Excellence Coordinator about what the center can do to help farmers.

Starting out in farming can be tough, but new incentives can make it a bit easier to get started as a beginning or first-generation farmer. PFB Director of Communications Liam Migdail talks with first-generation farmer Tyler Shaw, and PFB's Darrin Youker about the state tax credit.

Kristina Watson talks with Andrew Walmsley, Director of Congressional Relations for American Farm Bureau Federation about the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA) and what recommendations can be expected to help shape climate policy. (Recorded December, 2020) The Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA) was formed in February 2020 by four groups that now co-chair the alliance: American Farm Bureau Federation, Environmental Defense Fund, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, and National Farmers Union.

Darrin Youker talks with Lisa Davis, Director of the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health about the difficulties of delivering healthcare to rural areas, and how farmers can help create healthy communities.

Director of Federal Government Affairs Kristina Watson talks with economists John Newton and Michael Nepveux of AFBF about the effect this year has had on the ag economy, and what comes next in 2021.

What does it take to produce your Thanksgiving turkey? PFB's Darrin Youker talks with Pennsylvania turkey farmer Craig Pallman about growing fresh market birds during the busiest time of the year.

We talk with Heather Leach from the department of entomology at Penn State about the spotted lanternfly infestation that's spreading across Pennsylvania, and what it means for farmers.

PFB's Darrin Youker talks with Dean Jackson, farmer and winner of the 2019 Leopold Conservation Award about the importance of good conservation practices on farms in Pennsylvania.

PFB's Darrin Youker talks with Juniata County farmer and PFB board member Dave Graybill about conservation efforts in Pennsylvania and some of the boards that Dave has served on.

PFB's own Darrin Youker and Joe Montenegro discuss the importance of Farm Bureau's policy development process and why members should participate in this truly grassroots activity.

PFB's Co-Director of Communications Bill Zeiders chats with PA Game Commission's Chronic Wasting Disease Biologist Andrea Korman and CWD Communications Coordinator Bob Frye about the new CWD Response Plan and what it means for farmers and landowners.

In part 2 of the series on rural broadband connectivity, Darrin Youker talks with Sascha Meinrath, the Palmer Chair in Telecommunications at Penn State University about the hurdles facing widespread broadband access in rural areas.

Darrin Youker, PFB's Director of State Government Affairs talks with Thomas Beresnyak, Penn State Extension's Client Relationship Manager for southwest Pennsylvania, about some of the tools available right now for mapping where rural areas are lacking in broadband connectivity.

June is National Dairy Month. Join Darrin Youker, PFB's Director of State Government Affairs as he chats with Brett Reinford and Glenn Stoltzfus of the Diary Future Commission on their recommendations on how to strengthen the dairy industry in Pennsylvania.